Vergleich zweier Polypropylennetze in der Hernienchirurgie, ist die Menge an implantiertem Material entscheidend?

The treatment of adult inguinal hernias is one of the most common operations in Germany with approx. 200 000 operations annually and as such it also represents an important economic factor in the health system. The development of a tension-free repair with the help of a polypropylene mesh by Lichtenstein in 1986 caused a revolution in the operative process and resulted in a considerable reduction in the recurrence rate . Due to constant discussions regarding the influence of implanted foreign material, this study deals with the influence of different meshs on post-operative pain, especially in chronic pain syndromes and the awareness of foreign bodies. 100 patients with primary hernias were prospectively divided into two groups at versus random and treated with different meshs (material-reduced: 55 g / m 2 vs. conventional: 85 g / m 2 ). The patients were questioned both during their time in hospital and at their out-patient appointments about continued pain and the awareness of the foreign body. They were then examined both physically and via ultrasound. With regard to the reported pain levels the material-reduced net showed no advantage compared to the conventional net. Surprisingly, the patients in this group complained even more often about feeling aware of the foreign body. Therefore, in this experiment we were unable to recognise any advantage in the material-reduced nets.